This Fall’s Autumnal Equinox is September 22

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This Fall’s Autumnal Equinox is September 22

RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) – In less than two weeks, we’ll officially, at least according to Space-lingo, be in Fall! The Autumnal Equinox is exactly at 10:49 a.m. EDT on Saturday, September 22, 2012. That is the moment when the Sun’s most direct rays are over the Earth’s Equator. As for meteorologists and climatologists, we already recognize that we are in the Fall season! Our Fall months are all of September, October, and November.

Well what does this really mean from our perspective on Earth? This diagram shows what the Sun’s “height above the horizon” looks like to a viewer from Earth at various times of the year during Earth’s journey around the Sun.

IMAGE: RedOrbit

The Fall Foliage season has already begun! Foliage Spotters are providing updates every few days HERE. Our region’s latest spotter report on September 8 says, “There is still not much going on in the region, but that is not expected. Typically, we start to see colors emerge in the higher elevations in the Northeast and Midwest first. However, as we approach late September, the colors of fall will start to show.” This information was sent to The Foliage Network by Marek D. Rzonca. The next report will be issued Wednesday, September 12, 2012. For your reference from the Virginia Department of Forestry, here is our typical peak color time-frames for Fall Foliage.